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Roxas Boulevard is a 7.6-kilometer thoroughfare right at the shoreline of Manila Bay. It is the main arterial road in the very west of the Megacity, connecting Old Manila with the entertainment and shopping complexes at the bay and with the airport. As of January 2016, Roxas Boulevard now features a planting verge that separates the esplanade from thee busy road.

As of January 10, 2016, Architect Paulo Alcazaren posted on social networking site Facebook that Roxas Boulevard’s makeover is complete. The makeover includes renovation of the promenade right in front of Manila Bay, allotted space for pedestrians and bikers, and a beautiful planting verge separating the esplanade from the busy road.

Name and history

Construction of Roxas Boulevard started in the early 1900s under the new American territorial government, as part of an extensive development plan for Manila. The boulevard's name was changed several times until in the 1960s it was given its current name in honor of Manuel Roxas, 5th President of the Philippines from 1946 to '48. In Filipino it is called Bulebar Roxas.

Along the Road

The northern stretch of the road is namesake to our Megacities HotSpot Roxas Boulevard, as some of Manila's best hotels as well as many nice bars and restaurants can be found all along the way. Most of those establishments have a wonderful view over the Manila Bay area. Also located there are the US Embassy, many Philippine government buildings, and a couple of museums, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Manila.

On this stretch of Roxas Boulevard, the Baywalk allows pedestrians to stroll along the shoreline and experience the stunning sunset over Manila Bay. However, this is less romantic than it sounds, as the sea is smelly most of the days, the walkway often bears marks from the last floods, and homeless people take refuge under the coconut trees.

Roxas Boulevard ends in Parañaque City, near NAIA Airport, where the road becomes the Manila-Cavite Expressway.

Traffic Situation

Roxas Boulevard has eight lanes and the area it passes through is less densely populated and developed than most of the rest of Manila. Therefore, the street is relatively free most times of the day. However, like all arterial roads, Roxas Boulevard experiences heavy traffic during rush hour. A spot notorious for ongoing congestion is where Roxas Boulevard meets EDSA, one of Manila's main traffic junctions.